NC’s flight-focused MMORPG AION 2 launches worldwide as a free-to-play PC game on Monday, October 5, 2026, ending the paid Advanced Access period that started September 30. NC America’s early access press release named October 5 as the official launch on Steam and NC’s own PURPLE launcher.
The changeover happens during one maintenance window. According to NC’s Steam notices, summarized by Pixels in Orbit, servers went down at 10 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 4 (1 a.m. ET Monday) for about eight hours. If maintenance stays on schedule, the game reopens as the full commercial release around 9 a.m. ET on October 5. NC says that time is a target and could change.
Early access required a Founder’s Pack, priced at $24.99 (Standard), $49.99 (Deluxe), or $99.99 (Ultimate), with each tier including a 30-day membership. From launch, anyone on PC can download the game for free. NC’s launch FAQ says there is no subscription fee. Instead, the game earns money from an optional monthly membership, cosmetics, and a Battle Pass. NC also says the membership unlocks access to the player-driven economy and currency exchanges, so it is more than a cosmetic upgrade for players who plan to trade.
NC has also responded to the biggest complaint from early buyers. It says Founder’s Pack cosmetics, which had been locked to a single character, will become usable on every character and server on an account. NC says that change will take several days.
AION 2 already has momentum. The game launched in Korea and Taiwan about a year ago, and Eurogamer reported on October 1 that early access founder’s packs had taken the top spot on Steam’s Top Sellers chart, out-earning that week’s big releases, including Gears of War: E-Day during its own early access run. NC describes a world 36 times larger than the original AION, where flight is part of combat as well as travel.
Launch checklist: the game is free on Steam or PURPLE, PC only for now, and both storefronts share the same servers. Each server holds one faction, so check which server your friends are on before you create a character. No console or mobile versions have been announced with this launch.
